Grape Creek High School teens charged in brawl

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Two Grape Creek High School athletes were arrested in connection with a locker room attack captured on video last week.

The athletes, both 18, were charged with assault resulting in bodily injury, according to a criminal complaint in county court.

Sean Ricks and Mason Shoemaker were booked into the Tom Green County Jail on March 1 and March 2, respectively. They were released hours later after posting bonds, according to jail records.

According to the report filed by the Sheriff’s Office, Ricks caused bodily injuries to the victim by pushing him onto the floor. Shoemaker caused injury by pushing the victim, hitting him with his hands and knocking him to the floor and kicking him.

The charges are Class A misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury, punishable by a $4,000 fine and a year in jail. The arrests stem from a video recording posted on the Internet showing two subjects attacking another boy in the Grape Creek locker room.

The confrontation stemmed from words exchanged during a dodgeball tournament, the victim’s statement said. The victim was pushed into a locker, causing pain in his neck, back and elbow. Shoemaker threw the victim down, the statement said. The victim tried to kick Shoemaker off with his cleats, and was hit on the top of his head.

A witness said in a statement that after the altercation with Ricks, Shoemaker jumped down from the lockers after a verbal spat. Shoemaker pushed the victim into a locker and then fought on the floor, where he struck the victim in the head.

Jared Alexander, a coach, entered the locker room and observed many players surrounding the victim lying on the ground in tears, Alexander said in a witness statement to the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office. He then attended to the victim and brought him into the coach’s office and notified Kyle Atwood, head coach and athletic director, of the fight. Shoemaker was suspended from practice. The statement said after practice as usual, the appropriate administration was contacted to fully investigate and take more action as necessary.